BLAST it! Well you definitely will if you get your hands on Forsaken, the shoot 'em up extravaganza from Probe published by Acclaim Entertainment.

It's the usual nightmare scenario, set in the future when scientists have gone just a tad too far.....

In fact, Earth has been ripped apart and left a lifeless husk, well not completely lifeless, thankfully. There are various robots, droids and humans who are all out for No 1 - and that includes you, pal.

So it's time to cause some 'bover on your hover bike' and start exploring the dismal, claustrophobic remains of the planet to see what you can scavenge. Although Earth is a write-off, the artists at Probe have done a great job, creating gorgeous, atmospheric environments in which to do battle.

You spend most of your time in underground tunnels, each beautifully textured which combined with attention to detailing and great lighting effects create superbly threatening locations.

Once you've mastered your hover bike, it's action all the way as you take on an array of mechanical nasties - and they're not daft. They are careful not to become a sitting duck by following you down a tunnel and they make a sharp exit when badly damaged. But you have plenty of weapons to blast them into a thousand bits as you take on the role of one of 15 ruthless mercenaries out for what they can get, determined to let nothing stand in their way.

The action spreads across 15 dangerous levels with weapons including a missile cam which lets you zoom in for a close up of the target and a mine cam surveillance device which allows you to trigger the explosive to cause maximum upset.

There are also power ups dotted throughout the game, including a homing missile which once fired is guaranteed to ruin someone (or thing's) day.

The player enjoys 360 degree movement in his fast moving, action packed game which provides tons of fun for trigger happy freaks. There are also puzzles to be solved, so it's not totally mindless.

If you want more than simply pressing a trigger, then give Forsaken a miss. But if that is your thing, then give the game the once-over.

Forsaken is available for the PlayStation, PC CD Rom and Nintendo 64. JE

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.